Circa 1968

France

A set comprising a sweater and skirt in knitted mohair, in ‘Santa Claus’ red by Jean Dessès, bearing the Sweaters label, his last ready-to-wear line around 1965, before his company closed in 1968. An iconic, cosy and vintage ensemble in wool and acrylic mohair, scarlet red (45% mohair, 55% acrylic). Long-sleeved jumper with a white and red mock roll neck and matching cuffs. The straight skirt is form-fitting and zipped at the back, with a matching red acrylic underskirt. The label on the jumper reads Sweaters, Jean Dessès, Made in France, Paris. No flaws to report apart from a slight natural patina due to its age. Good condition.

Dimensions: Equivalent to French size 36. Sweater: shoulders 38 cm, chest 83 cm, waist 72 cm, sleeves 56 cm, length 61 cm. Skirt: waist 73 cm, hips 90 cm, length 72 cm.

Jean Dessès (1904–1970), Parisian fashion designer and member of the French Haute Couture Trade Union, was born in Egypt and died in Athens. From 1937 to 1968, he owned one of the most important fashion houses of the time in Paris, alongside Balenciaga and Molyneux, with over 200 employees and located at 37 Avenue George V in a four-storey building. His second house was located at the Hôtel Eiffel at 17 Avenue Matignon and 1 Rue Rabelais, and his third at 12 Rond-point des Champs-Élysées. Using a technique known as ‘moulding’ in conjunction with the sculptural aesthetics of Antiquity, Jean Dessès made a name for himself as soon as he opened his house. The characteristics of his style were complex cuts and internal structures, pleats and twists in the fabric, with a preference for sheer fabrics, tulle, muslin, mohair, light sheets and soft jerseys, somewhat in the image of his peers, including Madame Grès.